Accobdiow



H. P. RASMUSSEN March 17, 1925.

ACCORDION Filed Sept- 17, 1923 Iowans Patented Mar. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES HAR Y Pn'rno RASMUSSEN, or nurcninsun, KANSAS.

ACCORDION.

AppIication filed September To all whom it may cancer-=22:

Be it known that I, HARRY PETRO Res- Mnssaiv, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hutchinson, in the county of Reno and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Accordions; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invent-ion relates to improvements in wind instruments and one object thereof is to provide a keyboard having a plurality of rows of keys corresponding to an equal plurality of the strings of a manually fingered stringed instrument and adapted to be fingered with the left hand, for instance, in substantially the same manner as a violin, viola, cello, or other instrument of the viol type, so that a musician familiar with stringedinstruments, may readily adapt his knowledge to the fingering of a wind instrument embodying my invention.

Another object is to specifically adapt the invention to an accordion of the type in which the right hand is used to manipulate the bellows-operating portion of the instrument, while the left-hand portion of such instrument is strapped to the musicians body, leaving his left hand free for unhampered fingering. In so adapting the invention to an accordion, I reverse the usual positions of the treble and bass keyboards and thus provide for using the free left hand on the treble keyboard, and the bellows-operating right hand for the accompaniment. Thus, by the use of my invention, the treble keyboard is easily fingered by a stringed instrument musician and only the fingering of the bass keyboard with the right hand, need be learned.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an accordion constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the treble keyboard at the left side of the instrument.

In the present disclosure of my invention, an accordion 1 is shown, of the type embodying a movable, right hand, bellowsoperating portion, and a stationary left- 17, was.

portion of the instrument.

Serial No. $63,293.

hand portion, the latter being adapted to be strapped to the musicians body, leaving his left hand entirely free for fingering the treble keyboard 2, which is carried by said stationary portion, while the right hand which operates the bellows is used for fingering the bass keyboard 3 embodied in the above-named movable portion.

The keys of the treble keyboard 2 are disposed in a plurality of closely spaced, vertically elongated rows adjacent the outer vertical edge of the stationary, left-hand The rows of keys are preferably straight and the tops of all keys of said rows may or may not be disposed in substantially the same plane, as desired. These rows of keys correspond to the strings of a stringed instrument, and each row contains keys for at least one complete chromatic octave. The keys produce tones which vary in pitch one row from another, and in the present disclosure, I have shown an E-row 5, an A-row 6 onc-fiftl1 lower than said E-row, a D-row 7 one-fifth lower than said A-row, and a G-row 8 onefifth lower than said D-row. By arranging the keys in this or a similar manner, the fingering common to violins, mandolins and similar stringed instruments, may be used in connection with them, thus enabling a stringed instrument player to readily finger for any desired melody, with the hand which he is accustomed to using for the fingering operation. Thus, in order to enable a stringed instrument player to play upon the accordion, it will be only necessa-r Y that he learn to finger the keyboard 3 for the accompaniment, with his right hand.

It will be seen from the foregoing, that I have produced a distinct improvement in wind instruments and while the exact arrangement of keys shown in Fig. 2 is preferable, it will be obvious that changes might well be made.

I claim 1. In a wind-instrument having means for producing tones, a keyboard comprising a plurality of tone-sounding finger buttons arranged in undeviating lines, said lines being disposed in laterally spaced relation and each containing buttons for at least one complete chromatic octave, said lines producing tones which vary in pitch one line from another.

2. In a wind instrument having means for producing tones, a keyboard comprising a plurality of rows of keys, each row contain.-

ing keys for at least one complete chromatic octave and each row being straight from end to end, said rows producing tones which 5 Vary in pitch one row from another.

3. In a Wind instrument having means jor producinr with the left hand, said keyboard comprising a plurality of rows of keys corresponding to an equal plurality of the strings of a Stringed instrument, each row containing keys for at least one complete chromatic octave, said rows being disposed in closely spaced relation, permitting fingering of the keys thereof in a manner similar to the tingering of a stringed instrument, said rows producingtones which vary in pitch one row from another;

4,. An accordion comprising a movable Wright-hand bellows-operating portion and a stationary left-hand portion, the latter being adapted to be strapped to the musicians body, leavinghis left hand free; a bass keyboard carried by said right-hand, bellows operating portion to be lingered with the right hand, and a treble keyboard carried by said stationary left-hand portion, said treble keyboard comprising a plurality of rows of keys corresponding to an equal plurality of the strings 'oit'a stringed instrument, each row containing keys for at least tones, a keyboard to be fingered one complete chrom ic octave, said r ng d sn sed n clo yspac d rel tion a j cent the outer Verical edge of said stationary left-hand portion, permitting fingering 01- the keys of said-roWs-ina manner similar to the fingering of a stringed instrument, said keys producing tones which vary in pitch onerow 1511011 another.

5. An accordion comprising a movable right-hand bellows-operating;portion and a stationary. left-hand portion, the latter being adapted to be strapped torthe musicians body, leaving his l t and free a bass keyboard carried by the right-hand bellows-opcrating portion to be fingeredith the right hand, and a treble keyboard carriedbysaid stationary lefidland portion, said treble keyboard comprising a plurality of tone-sounding finger buttons arranged in undeviating lines 1n closely spaced relation adgacent the outer vertical edge of said stationary lefthand portion, permitting -fingering of the butto srof said lines ina' manner s m ar to the. fing ingot s inged in rument, said lineseach containing buttons for at least one I c plete chroma ic octareysaid ines, producing tones which vary ill-pitch one line from another.

In testimony whereof I havehereunto affixed my signature.-

HARRY PETRO BASMU'SSEN. V 

